My former roomie became my best friend and now that she's trying to find a new gig, I saw her crying last week and asked what happened. She said she found a great job with an international school but two days after her interview she called to check on her chances. The secretary told her that only one of her three former employers in China (over a period of seven years) called back and would only say "Yes, she worked here" and hung up! That school had given Susan a "Teacher of the Month" certificate five times in two years and now they won't even give here a reference!

So I asked her for the other two references where she worked to see what they would say about her, and one principal said "I don't remember much about her" (even though she worked there 3 years - longer than any other foreign teachers) and said she was too busy to look for a file and hung up.

The last place I called would not even pick up the phone but sent me and SMS asking what I wanted. When I replied that I wanted a reference for Susan who applied for a job with me, i got no reply at all!

Do these people hate us for finding a new job that pays more money or what? Susan is a damn good teacher who worked tons of overtime and now these arshoes can't even acknowledge or even remember how they begged her to stay on. She never broke a contract or filed any complaints. What's wrong with these people?

Staff change frequently at schools. Teachers should always get a reference letter when they leave their school at the end of their contract. It's also a good idea to get a mobile phone of a staff member who knows you well that you could use as a reference if you need it for future use.

Yeah, I think you're lucky just to get a release letter. Once you leave they don't give a shit about you because in their eyes, you abandoned them and are probably going to tell other FTs the truth about them!

What is the best way to play this one? Maybe ask for a reference letter with one month left on your current contract, and then keep reminding them. The problem even with a solid reference letter is that most employers are requesting referees that can be contacted.